Letter book of Robert Carter III, of Williamsburg and Nomini Hall, 1761-1764.

Index: page [1] at back.

15

Relations justly merits my particular
Notice of him that is £30,,17,,5 sterling the
balance due as per Account Current which [illegible]
[illegible] ^{debt shall be discharged by my first} Bills of Exchange
remitted

The following Goods (not received,)
shipped on board the Neptune George Burdon
30th June 1760. as per Invoice

16

I understand there are many applicasions
to you with circumstances the same as my Case
and if the Insurers make restitution for the
loss of Goods by the Neptune, be pleased to
appy for the above deficiency

I have removed my Family to this
City direct To me here I am Gentlemen
Your most Obedient Humble Servant
Robert Carter.

To Messrs James Buchanan & Copany
Williamsburg September 8th: 1761

An Invoice of Goods for Mrs. Carter

a Sack if worn, but if not fahionable
a fashionable undress to cost 15£ sterling
from

17

from the Mantua-maker a Cap Han
kerchief & Ruffles of something
slight to wear with the Cloaths A pair of
fustian turned stays A slight
genteel Cloak & Hat for the Summer
1 pair straw coloured satin shoes, Fives
5 pair best coloured Callimanco Shoes, Fives
1 pair black leather Shoes   Fives
4 pair Cotton Stockings 5^s/ 6 pair white Gloves
6 pair white mittens 1 piece Irish linen a
2^s/6 per yard 1 peice printed Callico, dark
grown to cost 45^s/ 1 piece Indian Persian
of a bright colour 4 thousand midling
Pins 5 thousand short whites 1 thousand miniking
12 yards fashionable Ribbon, 2 pieces diaper
apron string Tape 1 Fan to cost 2^s/6

Williamsburg 8th September 1761

To Messrs: James Buchanan & Copany

Gentlemen:

You will receive 20 hogsheads of Tobacco
by the Page Captain Wadlington on May Account:

Mrs Carter desires her Compliments
to Messrs: Buchanan & asks the favor of
her

18

her Assistance in the purchace of the
inclosed Invoice Insure the Goods
& reship the like sorts if lost or
Taken   I am
Gentleme Yours
Robert Carter

To Mr John Morton Jordan
Williamsburg 16th February: 1762

Mr Cancanon notified to me
in a Letter the dissolution of your Part
nership. I received also your Favor on that
Subject & understand by it you pur
pose to pursue the original Plan, only
the manner of it altered, I sincerely
wish Sir your endeavours may prove
successful, & that they may [I] shall write
my Steward to ship Three Ton of
Tobacco on board the John for you to
sell. The Articles mentioned in the
inclosed Invoice I desire may be
forwarded by the first Vessel that
sails

19

sails for Virginia; Mr Nicholas's old
House in this City is what I am about to
repair: I would even agree to send a
Boat up to Annapolis to have the Goods
expeditiously; ensure them & reship the
like kinds if lost. I must
acknowledge Sir my promise is
no acquivalant to the Request, but
I trust You will excuse that Fault, who
too will knows that my desires are
too many for my yearly Income

His Majesty;s ship of war the Chester
field Captain Scaif, will sail with the Trade
from hence the 6th of June I am &cc
Robert Carter

Invoice inclose in the Above Letter

Paper to hang 3 Parlours all of the fol
lowing dimentions: round the 4 sides of
one Parlour measures 55 Feet from the
Floor to the Cieling 11 Feet

The

20

The 1st Parlour a good Paper of a Crim
son Colour. The 2d Parlour a better
Paper, a white ground with large green
leaves. The 3d Parlour best Paper a
blue ground with large Yellow Flowers

Paper proper to hang a Passage
& stair case, round the Passage mea
sures 64 Feet, from the Floor to the Cieling
11 Feet, I want paper for 2 Passages
of this dimention The length of
the Ctair Case 36 Feet from the wainscot
up the Stairs to the Cieling 10 Feet
Three pair Yellow silk & worsted
Damask festoon Window Curtains
for a Room 10 Feet pitch To yellow
silk & worsted Damask to the Seats
of 18 common Chairs To a Mirror 4 Feet
by 6 ½ this width & Breadth to be from the
Extreem part of the Frame; the Glass
to be in many pieces agreeable to the
pre

21

present fashion Three marvell
hearth Slabs, 4 Feet by 18 Inches to be
wrought very thin, & a good Polish
Four large best wrought brass
Sconces Two glass Globes for Candles
to light a Stair Case Two mortice
door Locks, no hinges 150 with white
Lead not grownd A levigating
Stone to grind Paint, no muller
Two dozen brass Casters with leather rol
lers & screws for the same one gross
Cards one Copper Coal Scuttle
one tin Coal Scuttel a Wilton Carpet
to fit a Room as per Figure

To Thomas Bladen Esquire Dover Street
Piccadilly, London, by the Diana Captain
Adams
Williamsburg 23d 1762

Dear Sir
The most material alteration
in

22

in Our House since my latest date to
you is the birth of a Daughter who is
Named Ann Tasker, your amiable ac
quaintance Mrs Fauquier did us the
honour to perform the requisite our
Church requires This relation Sir
reminds me of the late Romance
pray what say the Lady's of Miss Claisa
The Author has immense abilities
Mr Foxcraft has received his appointment
to the Office of Post master here
& I expect Mr. Fauquier will also be
successful on his application for
the Office of Recever general I
have the certainest assurance to
attain of the Governors Favor on the 1st
genteel Vacancy & I promise my
self your assistance to attain that
endeavour

The last Intelligence of
the

23

The Fleet destined against the Island
of Martinico Captain Scaif of his
Majesty's Ship of War the Chesterfield
relates who spoke a Brig at Sea
a few Days from the Island of Bar
bados that said the Reasonable his
Majestys Ship Captain Schuldham
was shipwrecked on a Shoal of
Martinico but the whole Crew for
tunately saved also that a Fort
on the Island was silenced

Robert Carter

To Thomas Bladen Esquire May 1762
by the same oportunity wrote to Dulany

To James Buchanan & Co
7th May 1762 sent by Captain Blake
his Majestys Sloop

Gentlemen

Captain Thompson has Orders
from me for 108 hogsheads of Tobacco to be ship
ped on board the John & Prestly
who

24

who will sail with his Majesty's
ship the Chesterfield Captain Scaife
in some part of next Month
from hence 58 of them are consigned
to your house; with be pleased to
make insurance on to receive
470 £ Sterling in Case of loss

I am Gentlemen Yours
Robert Carter

1st July 1761 the following
Invoice inclosed to Messrs James
Buchanan & Co

1 piece irish linen @ 3s/ per yard 1 piece ditto
2s/6 1 piece irish linen @ 2s/ Two
damask Table Cloaths to dine a
dozen @ 30s/ each 3 diaper ditto to
dine six 10s/ 4 huckaback ditto ditto
one pair common small Napkins 1 dozen
fine small damask Napkins, 1 piece

25

common huckaback for Towels, 2 pieces white
strong linens @ 1s/3 per yard one piece best
white Ozenbrigs, one piece brown ditto
1 piece hempen Rools 1 piece large piece of
blue welch Cotton, 12 yards of blue livery
broad Cloath @ 8s/ a piece brown fustain
for Servants 4 Mens ^ ^large Caster Caster Hatts
6 Mens large felt ditto. 6 common blankets
for Servants 6 pair common brown Mens
thread Stockings 4 lb Ozenbrig Thread
1 lb blue ditto. 1 piece of none so prittie
Tape, 25 yards of corded Dimothy, 1 piece
clouting diapers 1 piece fine dark fine
Sagathee, half a piece fine brown holland
6 fine Caster Hats 2 sizes for 6 years & 4 years
old 4 pair worsted Stockings for ditto
4 pair brown thread for ditto 2 pairs silver
shoe & knee buckles buckles for ditto
2 silver laced Hatts for ditto

26

a yellow silk Bonnet & whisk for
a Miss of 4 years old 1 dozen pair Girls
red moroccon Shoes from one year old to
4 a pair Stay's for a Miss of 4 years old
2 long lawn Frocks to fit ditto. 6
pair lamb Mittins for Miss 1 green
sarcenet quilted coath for Mrs Carter
a Cap, hankerchief Tucker Ruffels
apron of Lace set on plain Muslin
to cost Ten Pounds 3 pair Callimanco
Shoes with silk lace 5ves 1 pair black
ditto 1 pair black velvet ditto 1 green
Silk bonnet trimmed with brown lace
and a Silk Handkerchief to wear with
ditto. 6 pair white Lamb Gloves 6 pair
coloured Mittins 4 pair Cotton Stockings
1 dozen yards fashionable Ribbon 6 yards
narrow ditto 2 pieces Cap wire a Fan 2s/6

27

10 yards narrow silver Gimp

Grocery
100 lbs double refined sugar, 6 lb Hyson
Tea 5lb common bohea ditto ¼ C Currants
¼ ditto Jar Reason 4 lb shavings of Harts
horn 2 lb sago 4 lb vermicelli 4 lb
french barly ½ bushell of sweet
almonds in the shells 1 lb anchovies
2 lb Capers 2 bottles Olives 1 Gallon
Sallad oil small Cag Herrings
3 lb fig blue 1 ditto powder blue 6 ounces
Cloves 6 ditto Nutmegs Tow large
coarse cloaths Baskets 2 ounces
coarse holland Thread 1 lb whited
brown 2 pieces diaper Tape 1 filleting
ditto 1 dozen white ivory handel
desert Knives & Forks & ^{one dozen Silver Table Spoons} maked
with my Crest to be contained in a Shagreen Case

28

Case one Shagreen Case empty to
contain a dozen Table Knives & Forks

29

30

31

32

Willamsburg 4th July 1762
To Mr Amos Strettell Merchant in
Philidalphia

A Letter from Messrs Hanburys
house in London dated the 27th April
advises Colonel Hunter the Ship Page
Watlington was taken by a French
Privateer on her passage to the port
of London, & was ransomed for 3,000 £
Sterling The proportion of the Compo
sition Money My Tobacco is subjected
to pay (you procured a policy of
assurance) I shall debet to Account
of the Assurors which balance will be
ascertained on Receipt of My
account of Sale I shall beg of you
to negotiate this business for me Your
Answer will Oblige Sir Yours
Robert Carter

33

To Messrs Cary & Company Merchants
in London
Willamsburg 14th July 1762

Gentlemen

It is my earnest wish that Colonel Philip
Ludwell Lee's Interest procures a load of
Tobacco from the Latitia Captain Hammond what
Tobacco I grew last year is engaged
& was to sail by agreement with his Majestys
Ship the Chesterfield By your favour
of the 10th April your yearly Ship for Potomac
river, may, or may not Arrive to car
ry the present growth of Tobacco to Britain
with Convoy I can't make promisess
when the event is so uncertain; but to act
the Candid Man you must know that a
small proportion of my Tobacco is engaged
yealy on consignment (to buy British
Manufactures my wants require) the
balance I sell to the purchacers here if the
prices is an enducement, if otherwise
the Common freight makes it an ac

34

acceptable article to most Ships
Your Annual Ship is not to depend on
Me for any certain Quantity of Tobacco
Thus far I will venture to promise that
any business Your House shall submit
to my Attention shall be diligently
& punctually executed by Gentlemen

Your Humble Servant
Robert Carter.

To Mr John Morton Jordan Merchant
in London

Virginia Willamsburg 19th July 1762.

Sir

I beg leave to congratulate You upon
two Events namely Your late marriage,
also the connections with Mr Abraham
Barnes an adept by long experience in
many kinds of british Manufactures
the Americans require & has accumulated
riches by Prudence & Caution

Your Letter of the 27th April & Goods by the Triton
I have received & every Article of them are
proper, excepting the Mirrour, the size of
the

35

the middle ^ ^{plate of} Glass makes it very costly, if that
had been in pieces the Mirrour would have
cost what I meant. I expect to receive
in a short time some Sterling Bills from Annapolis
part of them shall be applyed to discharge
your balance of £137..0..8 Sterling, or should Mrs
Tasker fail to be usually puncutual shall
draw on Messr J. Buchanan & Co of your
City for the same. If Captain Nicholson had
applyed to me for Tobacco he should have
had the Quantity reserved for the John
what Tobacco I grew last Year has been en
gaged some time & was to sail by agre
ement with his Majesty's ship the Chesterfield
I hope Your Potomac ship will arrive in time
to carry part of the present growth of
Tobacco to Britain & to sail with Convoy.
the premiums with out are intolerable
I heartily wish Your endeavours will pros
per & that they may shall continue my
Correspondence so long as the benefit is
mutual I shall conclude with my
Compliments to Mr Barnes and
all

36

all future Letters on business shall be
addressed to Messrs Jordan & Barnes
I am Gentlemen Your
Humble Servant
Robert Carter

Virginia Willamsburg 23d July 1762 To
James Buchanan & Company London

Gentlemen

Your Letter inclosing an Account Current
Sales for 20 hogsheads Tobacco, Invoice & Bill of
Liding I have before me, The Goods sent
by the Virginia Planter for the Towns of Norfolk
& Hampton detain the Ship below: a Gentlemen
goes from hence for Hampton Tomorrow
early to put Letters on board some Ships,
there that are to sail on Sunday next
(by whom I forward this) I believe Captain
William Thompson will not join these
imprudent Gentlemen Sir Jeffery Amherst
& Captain Scafe assure the Governor by Letter
that his Majesty's Ship the Chesterfield
shall be here to Convoy the Trade of
Maryland & this Colony to Britain
Your

37

Your balance of £579..7..11. Sterling differs so
triflingly with my Books, that they are set
teled accordingly, my Bill payable to
William Prentice & Co for £34..13..4 Sterling & the
premium I shall draw for to ensure 52
hogsheads Tobacco on board the John & Prestly
will encrease that balance but I expect the 20
hogsheads by the Page with the consignment
mentioned just above will sell for a
considerable sum of Money

Mr Alex Johnstons Correspondent
here has been twice directed to apply
to me for a Bill to pay the the Plate bought
of Johnston amounting to £12..9..7 Sterling
I am charged that article as per ^ ^your Account
received: to have a 3d application for
this matter would encrease my uneasiness
& oblige me to justify my self from the
imputation I am Gentlemen
Robert Carter

38

To Mr Amos Strettell Merchant in
Philadelphia

Willamsburg ^August 16th: 1762

Sir

Captain William Thompson of the John &
Presley sailed from hampton-road the 9th of
this Month in company with 10 Ships all bound
for the of London; the several Masters have
entered into Articles to keep together as ^ ^{their best}
security against the Enemy I have 52 hogsheads
of Tobacco on board the John & Presly
consigned to Messrs James Buchanan
& Co which property be pleased to have
ensured, to receive 250 £ Sterling if lost
or an equivalent in Pennsylvania
Currency to purchase Bills of Exchange
for that Sum This covers my Bill, for
33£ Sterling also an Order for the balance due
to me from Mr John Nelson of Your City
both jointly I expect will enable ^ ^you to per
form the above request, but if the inclosed
remittance should not be insufficient to
pur

39

purchace 250 £ Sterling on the conditions
mentioned, ^thenthat deficiency shall be sent
You immediately upon my information
of it A neighbor desires me to
make enquiry for a single Man well
qualified in the Bakers Art, such a
one disposed to live here may expect
Civil treatement & receive wages punc
tually, if any Person should be ^{will engage} on this
application, (You would recommend)
Let him write his Terms to me, they
will determine if acceptable, or not,
& the answer will direct the Person
accordingly If You will negotiate
this Matter, & communicate Your endea
vours, it will add to the favour already
granted to Sir
Your humble Servant
Robert Carter

40

To Messrs John Jordan & Barnes
Merchants London

Virginia 4th November 1762 sent
by the Gosport Captain Jarvis

Gentlemen

The inclosed bill drawn by
Mr Tasker of Annapolis will in part
pay for the Goods I received by the
Triton amounting to £137..0..8 Sterling
the balance shall be remitted shortly I am
Gentlemen Robert Carter

To The Honourable Benjamin Tasker Esquire at Annapolis
Virginia 14th July 1763

Dear Sir

At Your request I have reexamined
my Account & in copying Colonel Taskers Account
inclosed to You there in Errour, I charge therein
To my Bill on James Buchanan & Company payable to
Benjamin Tasker, 42 £ Sterling 22d April 1758, The Date & Sum
are Good, but the entry should have been
To my Bill on Alexander & Company payable to Benjamin Tasker
63£ Sterling 21£ part said Bill charged in
Master

41

Master Agles Account Interest on my late
Bond for the year 1757 the balance 42£ Ditto
charged in Benjamin Tasker. 21£ part Floods Bill
Interest for the year 1758 see Master Agles
Account the balance £8..9 Sterling ditto charged in
Benjamin Tasker. Account My Bill on James Buchanan & Company
payable to Benjamin Tasker. 27 June 1760 for 38£ 10 Shillings
Sterling 21£ part said Bill Interest for the year
1759 the balance 17£ 10 Shillings I have neglected
to charge in Benjamin Tasker. Account delievered: upon
reexamining the Account You will discover
this neglect All Interest arising on my
late Bond to Master Agles from the 2d November 1759
is a transaction You have been personally
acquainted with therefore shall be silent as
to it. By this state of the Matter Collonell Taskers
Estate is indebted to Me 17£ 10s/ Sterling
Master Agles also 21£ Sterling.
Robert Carter

42

Willamsburgh 31st December 1763

To Messrs James Buchanan & Company London

Gentlemen

This day fortnight I gave my Bill
on You payable to William Brown for the sum of
150£ Sterling, which be pleased to pay.
The Bill just mentioned & sundry others
drawn by Me on You (if all are paid) to
gather with my average loss on the Ship
Page Captain Allyne, & J Didsbury's Account.
amount in the whole to £636..16..9½ Sterling
I also stand indebted previous to the same
£576..7..11 Sterling as per Account Currant
dated the 10th April 1762; the old balance added
makes in the whole the sum of £1216..4..8
Sterling The proper discounts against
that Sum are 102 hogsheads Tobacco, also
£100..4..10 (the profits of 20 hogsheads Tobacco by
the Page Captain Allyne) & Amos Strettles
Draft for £34..6..6 Sterling. Let me sup
pose

43

pose that the Tobacco not sold Netts 1020 £ Sterling
the 3 Credits then to be added will make the sum
off £1154..11..4 Sterling the balance then dute to James & Company is £61..13..4½ Sterling I mention this be
merely as a matter of amusement for
your Account Currant can only determine the
precise one. I hear that the Randolph
Captain Walker is arrived; on which Event I beg
leave to Congratulate You on

Some Chiefs of the Cherokee Tribes, also
Catalas, Creeks, Checasaws, & Choctaws
attended at the Congress held at Fort
Augusta in the Province of Georgia
in ^answeringtheir Answer to Governors Talk to them
they allege that many white People has
made settlement upon Lands they
never had Ceded ^{or sold} to the English, & claim
his Majesty's protection if ever the like
violation of property should be
at

44

attempted against them Their 2d & last
Favor was that supplys of Goods should be
sent into their Country's; that the white People
had introduced Commerce amongst them
a blessing they beged might be continued
for Ever. There requests were promissed them
upon certain conditions to be kept on
their Parts   One of the Creek Orators
acknowledged that their People had com
mitted hostilities lately against his
Majesty's white Subjects, & to atone for the
same beged leave to add to Georgia
Government a million acres of Land.

The several Tribes of Indians re
siding in the Southern department ap
pears to be pacifickly disposed, those in
the Northern department not so. I am

Gentlemen Yours Robert Carter

P.S. In a Letter advising of some
Goods

45

Goods to the [a]mount of £ 39..2 Sterling Ship
for me the 6th May 1762 on board the Planter
Captain Mactaggard, wherein You direct me
to enquire of Mr Dick Merchant on James River
& Mr Miller here for a pair of Stays that was
believed to be packed by mistake in a
parcel of Goods shipped at the same
Time for one of those Gentlemen; enquiry
was accordingly made but without success
Mrs Carter desires a pair of turned fustain
Stays to supply the loss of those mis
sing.

Robert Carter

Willamsburg 21st February: 1764
To Mr Samuel Athawes, London,

Dear Sir

I now acknowledge the receipt of your favor
inclosing an invoice of goods amounting to
£5..8 Sterling which were shipped (& are received)
in consequence of my mothers desire, also
her account cuurent amounting in the whole
to

46

to £207..5..10 sterling: the proceeds of 5 hogsheads of
Tobacco is your only discount to be made from that sum
the remaining balance shall be remitted to you upon
collecting (a sufficiency for that purpose) the debts
due to the estate of Mrs P.L. deceased. You recom
mend two modes for discharging this debt, &
you say either of them will be satisfactory: the 1st is
a consignment of the yearly crop of Tobacco made
on that estate, or 2ly an order on my corres
pondent in London, but neither of which can
be complyed with. as to the first the Lands &
slaves my mother possessed, was only held
in right of dower, & on her death that estate
descended to her husbands representatives;
to the 2d my effects in europe are not equal
to my debts there. The security for your debt against
my mothers estate are bonds & open accounts
amounting in the whole to about 3,500£ Virginia
currency, the british claims sent in to me
make in the whole 260£ Sterling, the county cla[i]ms
make in the whole 100£ currency

47

The last evening I passed in London your
father & I kissed each other: at that parting
the mild part of my composition was pre
dominant! upon my honor I esteemed
him, & loved the family. I agree there was
a time of life when my gratifications exce
eded my yearly income will such a fault
create a rogue? will a complaining of
some parts of the present liturgy used by
the church of england create an atheist?
he that steals my fortune steals trash; but
he that takes from me, my good name; makes
me poor indeed.

In considering your letter now before me
I am induced to make the observations in
the last par Section, rather than pass in silence
any part of the same; & for this end only
it is made part of this Letter. I hope you will
write to me frequently, & be pleased to pres^ent
my affectionate compliments to the family
I am
Robert Carter

48

Willamsburg 10th february:1764

To Colonel Landon Carter of Sabine Hall in Richmond
County, & to Colonel Charles Carter of Cleve in King
george County with some few alterations.

Dear Sir

In obedience to a precept of yorks Court
I attended their worships the 3d Monday in the
month of September last to answer a bill in chancery
filed there by the direction of Mr. Francis Willis Jr
of gloucester County & Elizabeth his wife. Mr
Waller attorney for the plantifs proposed at that time
to refer the claim in the bill to arbitrators to settle
I agreed to the same. upon returning here from the
province of Georgia I had a conference with
Mr Waller upon the subject of the mentioned bill;
but the event of it was not conclusive. The
petition of the bill is to compel me to pay 1700£
sterling with interest therein from the marriage of
the orators, they set forth that colonel charles Carter
has made two payments amounting in the
whole to 465£ sterling part of the said 1700£
ster

49

sterling, also that the sum of 1250£ sterling was
paid by me the 2d of July 1749, after I came of
age, which 3 payments make 15 £ sterling, more
than the sum demanded, exclusive of interest.
I have always believed that you were an assistant
in prepareing the act of general assembly which
gives to me that part of my grand-fathers
estate he devised in his will to my father,
therefore shan't explain here the rise of the
present dispute, excepting that part of the act
only, directing that the said part of the estate should
be held by "John Carter & Charles Carter Esquire
& the survivor of them In trust for the main
tenance & education of the children during
their infancy & for raising & paying out of
the profits of the said premisses to my mother
Priscilla Carter the sum of 2500 £ sterling
& after paying that sum in trust, for the raising
& paying so much money to my sister
as will make up to my ^her portion with the
lega

50

legacy given to her by my grandfather
the sum of 2,000£ sterling upon her mar
riage or attaining to the age of 21 years."

I beg leave to observe that the letter of this clause
charges the profits only of that estate with paying
1700£ Sterling (part of 2,000 £ Sterling her full
portion as expressed in the Act) they will
become then the subject of enquiry, & if no profits
appears to have arisen from the same, their
claim for interest I apprehend will be
totally disallowed. I believe my brother
has attended to the clause mentioned for the
bill sets forth that "Colonel Charles Carter delivered
up the trust estate so settled by the act of assem
bly to the Defendant (meaning me) & accounted
for and paid him the profits thereof, he the said
defendant undertaking to satisfy all dem^ands
against the said estate, as your orators have
been informed & believe." It behoove me
to contradict part of this paragraph;
Mr

51

Mr Francis Willis Junior had every account Colonol
Charles Carter gave me relating to that trust
estate, & upon returning the same observed
I had many creditors to satisfy, & cen
sured the trustees management in that matter

The agreement that is also mentioned, that
was entered into between colonel Charles Carter &
me, some time in february: 1749 upon delieve^ring
up the said trust estate, I believe does not
exist for no impression off the same is to
be found in me. I believe, Sir, by this time
you understand Mr & Mrs Willis's claim in
the bills; the subject thus far. A few days
after the receipt of your letter of the 24th of December last
I was again with Mr Waller, he spoke then of a
letter just receieved from Mr Francis Willis wrote
only a day or two ago, making one
more claim in behalf of his wife. Viz:
a third part of two thirds of the appraised
value

52

value of my fathers slaves, & a child part of
his personal estate. I admitted her right
to both these was indisputable if her pro
portion of the intestates debts would not
exceed them, & if it should turn out so upon
a settlement, that I must be answerable for the
former, after deducting the value of those
slaves delivered to her as given by our
father, & that the administrators were accoun[t]^able
for the latter, no part of which that I know of
ever came to my hands. Upon this we have
agreed to refer the whole matter to any
Five of the council, with power to choose an
umpire, who are to enquire whether the
profits I received of the trust estate, after
maintaining the children & raising my
mothers 2500 £ Sterling were sufficient to
pay my sisters portion after marriage,
(for Mr Waller admits me to be no further
chargeable) & to state & settle the account
of

53

administration of my farthers estate.
What ever information & advice on these
heads you shall be pleased to impart to me
will be taken as kindly as your last affectionate
letter I am &cc
Robert Carter

Willamsburg 29th March 1764

To Mr Francis Willis junior at mount plesant
in Gloucester County

Sir

At the last conference I had with Mr Benjamin Waller
concerning your claim against me, I found you
had instructed him to demand in right of
your wife a third part of two thirds of the
appraised value of my fathers slaves & a
childs part of his personal estate. I did
not deny her title to those proportions, if
the intestates debts did not exceed the value
of them, and, if it should turn out so upon
a

54

a settlement, that I must be answerable for the
former, after deducting the value of those
delivered to her as given by our father, & that the
administrators were accountab[l]e, for the latter,
no part of which that I know of ever came to my
hands. and Mr Waller & I agreed to refer
those matters as well as that relating to the
portion to any two of the council, with power
to choose an umpire; who are to enquire
whether the profits I received of the trust esta^te
after maintaining the children, & raising
my mother's 2500£ sterling, were sufficient
to pay my sisters portion at her marriage,
for Mr Waller admitted me to be no further
chargeable, & if the profits received by the
trustees were sufficient they are to be called
upon for it, & not I. The same gentlemen
are likewise to state & settle the account of
administration, if you will properly call
upon those who transacted it, and
are

55

are answerable for it. Mr Waller I doubt
not, has fully advised you of our agreement
but it is repeated here to prevent any
cavils about the terms of it. The Attorney
general, Mr George Wythe, and Mr Robert Carter
Nicholas it seems you have silenced;
the others of the bar I han't applyed too, &
expect you will not insist that I do: the point
we are contesting, I believe will be thought
plainer then 9/10ths of many differences,
that are settled in a public manner, and
therefore to be explained by every lawyer;
but permit me to suppose our disputes were
intricate, & the truth of them to be explained only
by either of the before named gentlemen, the
question is, would an honest person avail
himself of the like advantage? If you consent
that Mr George Wythe, or either of the two gentlemen
appear for me before the arbitrators, be pleased
to inclose a written permission to Sir Yours &cc

Robert Carter